European stocks were higher on Thursday midday, as investors prepare for a US GDP print, while top US White House aide Jake Sullivan met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.The FTSE 100 index was up 24.13 points, or 0.3%, at 8,367.98. The FTSE 250 was up 42.84 points, or 0.2%, at 21,109.71, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.36 points, or 0.3%, at 772.66.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 836.44, the

Stock prices in London opened softly in the green on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of upcoming US GDP data.The FTSE 100 index opened up just 4.00 points at 8,347.85. The FTSE 250 was down 11.24 points, or 0.1%, at 21,055.63, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.74 points, or 0.2%, at 772.04.The Cboe UK 100 was up slightly at 834.44, the Cboe UK 250 was down a little at 18,563.12, and the

Renold (RNO:AIM) 54.71pMarket Cap: £123.9 millionMaking industrial chains and specialist torque transmission products doesn't sound very exciting but 150-year-old Renold (RNO:AIM) happens to be rather good at it and today is the second largest player globally.The global market is very fragmented and despite being a big fish Renold's market share is under 10% in terms of revenue, providing a sign

At the end of last year the market was pricing in 1.7% worth of US rate cuts for 2024 but here we are in late August and the Federal Reserve is yet to pull the trigger, largely due to stickier-than-expected inflation.However, after a series of false dawns, we may finally be approaching the point where the Fed acts, with a rate cut widely expected on 18 September. The debate largely centres on whet

Tate & Lyle (TATE) 645pMarket cap: £2.5 billionInvestors have soured on Tate & Lyle (TATE) since the global ingredients group announced the $1.8 billion (£1.4 billion) acquisition of 'mouthfeel' specialist CP Kelco in June.The food producer's shares have fallen more than 20% from May's 831.5p five-year high on concerns over price and integration risk, since large acquisitions have an unfortun

Hot on the heels of updates from Walmart (WMT:NYSE) and Home Depot (HD:NYSE), hard-pressed Target Corporation (TGT:NYSE) is the next major retailer to give a read on the health of a US consumer struggling with the rapid rise in inflation and interest rates of the past few years. The discounter's second-quarter earnings are slated for 21 August, when Target will need to assure investors it is on tr

Shares in specialist insurance underwriter Beazley (BEZ) reached an all-time high at the beginning of August after the firm posted sharply higher half-year earnings and said it saw more business opportunities in underwriting cyber risk insurance. The company, which manages six Lloyd's of London syndicates, reported pre-tax profit of $729 million for the six months to June or almost double last yea

Stocks in London ended lower on Thursday, though avoided deeper losses thanks to a better-than-expected US jobless claims reading.The FTSE 100 index ended down 21.91 points, 0.3%, at 8,144.97. It had been 1.3% lower earlier on Thursday, however.The FTSE 250 fell 67.45 points, 0.3%, at 20,508.58, and the AIM All-Share lost 2.11 points, 0.3%, at 765.21.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.2% at 813.12, the

Stock prices were lower at midday Thursday in Europe, ahead of New York Stocks which are called to open mixed as markets remained cautious.The FTSE 100 index was down 80.43 points, 1.0%, at 8,086.45. The FTSE 250 was down 257.43 points, 1.3%, at 20,318.60, and the AIM All-Share was down 5.58 points, 0.7%, at 761.74.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.9% at 807.71, the Cboe UK 250 was down 1.3% at 17,811.02

Q2 sales and earnings beat estimatesShares plunge on full-year downgradeRSV vaccine doses ship ahead of winterInvestors can be a tough bunch to please, just beating expectations is often not enough.Biotechnology firm Moderna (MRNA) is a case in point, with its shares slumping 21% overnight despite second quarter earnings coming in ahead of Wall Street estimates as the company slashed its full year

Investor excitement surrounding weight-loss drugs has arguably been as great if not greater than that seen for everything AI (artificial intelligence) in the last two years.Market leaders Novo Nordisk (NOVO-B:CPH) and Eli Lilly (LLY:NYSE), makers of Wegovy and Zepbound respectively, have seen their share prices soar as investors seemingly extrapolate their initial success years into the future.Ben

Stocks in London stormed higher on Wednesday, as US tech stocks leapt, ahead of interest rate decisions either side of the Atlantic.While the Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged, it may hint at an easing of policy at its September meeting. In London, a rate cut from the Bank of England is possible on Thursday, although this is viewed as a close call.The FTSE 100 index clo

Annual profits power 13.1% higherStand-out showing from Sports Direct'Strong' profit increase expected in FY25Frasers' (FRAS) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Thursday 18 July, surging 9.5% higher to 899p after the retail giant delivered annual profits at the top end of guidance, driven by Sports Direct, and expressed confidence in delivering 'another strong increase' in profits this year.Contr

While the shares prices of many housebuilders are still well below where they were pre-pandemic, so are their earnings which means although the sector may look cheap at first glance it could be a classic 'value trap' instead.In the case of Barratt Developments (BDEV), whose shares are still almost 50% below their March 2020 level and which has a trading update on 10 July, sales for the year to Jun

US Centre for Disease Control restricts vaccine useDecision could limit vaccine salesGSK has a leading market share in RSV vaccinesShares in GSK (GSK) were marked down 5% to £15.16 after the US CDC (Centre for Disease Control) advised a narrower use of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccines, cutting the potential market for GSK's leading Arexvy vaccine.The drop eradicates most the year's gain

Equities in London made a slow start on Thursday, but peers in Europe traded more confidently, with market focus on upcoming US data and political developments either side of the English Channel, and across the Atlantic.In London, a US blow for GSK hurt its shares. Miners also struggled in early dealings. Elsewhere, there was a guidance boost for outsourcer Serco, Watches of Switzerland reported i

£1.4 billion CP Kelco takeover agreed'Significant' synergies expected£215 million share buyback beginsGlobal ingredients group Tate & Lyle (TATE) has agreed to buy US-based 'mouthfeel' specialist CP Kelco from Huber for $1.8 billion (£1.4 billion) with the food producer hungry to accelerate growth in its specialty food and beverage business.The cash and shares transaction should sweeten Tate &

Covid-19 stock market darling Moderna (MRNA) appears to be getting its mojo back with investors following a punishing 85% drop in the shares from their September 2021 highs.Over the last six months Moderna's shares have more than doubled and despite the fall over the past couple of years, they remain one of the best performers in the benchmark S&P 500, notching up gains of 880% over the last five

Positive readout for combined vaccineFirst-ever positive results from late-stage trialModerna is developing non-Covid vaccinesUS biotechnology firm Moderna (MRNA:NASDAQ), best known for its Covid-19 vaccine based on its unique mRNA technology, said its combined flu and Covid-19 drug provoked a higher immune response than separate single jabs in late-stage clinical trials.The shares gained 2% in pr

Stock prices in London in London fell on Friday morning, with C&C Group in the FTSE 250 diving as its CEO Patrick McMahon stepped down immediately over accounting issues.The FTSE 100 index was down 8.13 points, or 0.1%, at 8,276.96. The FTSE 250 was down 51.50 points, or 0.3%, at 20,664.47, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.69 points, or 0.2%, at 794.99.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 824.99, the